Myers is best known for his writings on unusual, eccentric openings. He edited and published the Myers Openings Bulletin in 1979–1988 and the New Myers Openings Bulletin in 1992–1996.
Myers also involved himself in the controversy over FIDE President Florencio Campomanes' termination of the 1984–85 World Championship match between Karpov and Kasparov, and was instrumental in helping Campomanes secure reelection in 1986.
He died in Davenport, Iowa three days before Christmas in on 2008, a month short of his seventy-ninth birthday.
In the following game from the preliminaries of the 1957 Manhattan Chess Club Championship Hugh Meyers defeated an up and coming William Lombardy.
I can't resist posting the following photo that appeared in the February 1957 issue of Chess Review of Seaman Apprentice James T. Sherwin who was at the time in Officer Candidate training at the Coast Guard Academy.
By the way, the Coast Guard is, in my opinion, a much neglected branch of the military. The Marine Corps has the most difficult basic training, but many agree that Coast Guard boot camp is very demanding. Of the military branches the Coast Guard has the highest minimum standards for enlisting and, also, the highest failure rate to complete basic training of any of the services at roughly 20 percent. The other branches have failure rate of between 11 and 14 percent.
In the game Lombardy erred by starting complications before having castled. Eventually he had to castle, but he did so against overwhelming odds. Two brilliant sacrifices by Meyers opened Lombardy's K-side and Lombardy was lost in a rain of mating threats. Fortunately Lombardy had already qualified for the finals, but he did not take part in them. In August 1957 he was in the process of winning the World Junior Championship in Toronto with a perfect 11-0 score which netted him $200 (about $1,950 in today's dollars) and a trophy.
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| Hugh Meyers |
The club championship was divided into four semi-final sections:
Group A: 1) Walter Shipman 2) Arthur Feuerstein 3-4) Benjamin Owens and Alex Kevitz,5) Morton Siegel and 6) Edward T. Vano
Group B: 1) Max Pavey 2-3) Abe Turner and K. Vine 4) Robert J. Fischer 5) Joseph Tamargo and 6) S. Baron
Group C: 1) Arthur Bisguier 2) George Kramer 3)Edgar Mc Cormick 4) Sanford Greene 5) George Shainswit and 6) Paul Brandts
Group D: 1-2) Hugh Meyers and William Lombardy 3) Karl Burger 4) Edward Schwartz 5) Gisela K. Gresser and 6) Raul Benedicto
The final standings:
Hugh Meyers - William Lombardy
Result: 1-0
Site: Manhattan CC Champ Prelims, New York
Date: 1957
English Opening
[...] 1.g3 ♘f6 2.♗g2 d5 3.♘f3 ♗f5 This is, in reverse, a somewhat old fashioned K-Indian set up seen in Reti-Laker, New York, 1924. 4.c4 c6 When this game was played it was generally thought that 4...e6 was preferable because it prevented white from obtaining the Minority Attack with 5.cxd5 exd5 because the Minority Attack was less effective with the B fianchettoed. Eventually the Minority Attack was rendered harmless and so 4...c6 supplanted 4...e6. 5.cxd5 Avoiding, as did Barcza , transposition to the Reti-Lasker game by omitting 5.c3. The text enters an exchange variation of a different type. Other frequently seen moves are 5.b3 and 5.O-O 5...cxd5
16...♗xe5 This position is actually quite complicated, but this is an incorrect capture.
5...♘xd5 allows white to gain the advantage because black loses too many moves in the opening after 6.O-O e6 7.d4 ♘d7 8.♖e1 ♗g4 9.♘c3 ♗b4 10.♕c2 O-O 11.e4
6.♕b3 ♗c8 Smyslov played 6...Bc8. Lombardy's move seems less good because his B becomes locked in. On the other hand, in spite of black's position being passive, he has a very solid position which was typical of Lombardy. 7.O-O e6 8.♘c3 ♘c6 9.d4 ♗d6
9...♗e7 10.♗f4 O-O 11.♖ac1 ♗d6 12.♗g5 ♕b6 13.♕c2 ♗d7 14.♗xf6 gxf6 White has a minimal advantage. Gonda,L (2550)-Dovzik,J (2380)/Nagykanizsa HUN 2011
10.♖d1
10.♗f4 O-O 11.♖fd1 ♘a5 12.♕c2 ♗xf4 13.gxf4 ♗d7 14.♘e5 ♖c8 15.b4 ♘c4 16.♕b3 ♘d6 Draw agrees. Frayna,J (2235)-Gonzales,J (2399)/Sitges 2017
10.♗g5 O-O 11.♖ad1 ♗e7 12.♖fe1 b6 13.♗xf6 ♗xf6 14.e4 dxe4 15.♘xe4 The position is about equal. Carlstedt,J (2409)-Denisov,L (2337)/Moscow 2011
10...h6 Hans Kmoch used to say that finding the right move was easy as long as the h-Pawn can be pushed. Black should have just castled. 11.a3 Planning Qc2 and e3 and so he defends against ...Nb4 11...♘a5 An elementary mistake. Black starts action before having castled or having locked the center. Now white starts making portentous headway.. Black threatens to win material: Na5xb3 (11...O-O 12.♕c2 ♗d7 13.e4 dxe4 14.♘xe4 ♘xe4 15.♕xe4 is equal.) 12.♕c2 ♗d7 13.b4 ♘c4 14.e4 dxe4
14...a5 was worth looking at because if 15.e5 axb4 16.♘b1 ♗a4 favors black.
14...a5 is correctly met by 15.bxa5 ♘xe4 16.♘xe4 dxe4 17.♘e5 ♘xa5 18.♘xd7 ♕xd7 19.♕xe4 ♕a4 and white is only slightly better.
15.♘xe4 ♖c8 On the surface black's position looks OK because the R seems to have a threat on white's Q. But he is actually in serious trouble. With the text Lombardy has set a little trap though.
15...♘xe4 This was his best move. After 16.♕xe4 Best. 16...♗a4 17.♖e1 O-O 18.♘e5 ♗xe5 19.dxe5 ♖c8 20.♕g4 with a promising position.
16.♘e5
16.♕xc4 ♘xe4
16...♖xc4 would lose to 17.♘xd6+ ♔e7 18.♘xc4 White's R, B and N will prove superior to the Q.
17.♕d3 ♘c3 18.♖e1 O-O and suddenly black is actually slightly better. 16...♘xe5 loses at once after 17.♘xd6+ ♔e7 18.♘xc8+ ♕xc8 19.♕xc8 ♖xc8 20.dxe5
16...♘xe4 This is the correct capture. White is only slightly better after 17.♕xe4 b5 18.♗f4 ♗xe5 19.dxe5 ♕b6 20.♗e3 ♗c6 21.♕xc4 bxc4 22.♗xb6 axb6 23.♖d6 white is better.
17.dxe5 ♘d5
17...♘xe4 was only marginally better. 18.♕xe4 b6 19.♕g4 with an excellent game.
18.♕e2 Worth considering was 18.Nc5 18...O-O 19.♕h5 The air smells of sacrifices. 19...♕c7 This seemingly harmless move allows white to end the game with a bang.
19...♗e8 This would have allowed black to defend himself, but his position remains glum after 20.♘f6+ gxf6 21.♕g4+ ♔h7 22.♗xd5 exd5 23.♕f5+ ♔g8 24.exf6
20.♖xd5 A brilliant preparation for a brilliant finish! 20...exd5 21.♘f6+ gxf6 A must play move. (21...♔h8 22.♗xh6 gxf6 23.exf6 mates in 2.) 22.exf6 ♘d6 23.♗xh6 ♗f5 (23...♕c2 offers no salvation. 24.♗xf8 ♖xf8 25.♕xd5 ♗c6 26.♕xd6) 24.♗xd5 Pinning the f-Pawn and threatening mate again by 25.Qg5+ Bg5 26.Qxg6+ 24...♕c2 25.♗xf8 ♖xf8 26.♕h6 ♘e8 27.♖e1 Threatening the brutal 28.Rxe8 and mate on g7. There is also more gentlemanly way of mating with 28.Bxf7+ 27...♗g6
27...a6 Just to demonstrate the threat. 28.♗xf7+ ♔xf7 29.♖e7+ ♔g8 30.♖g7+ ♘xg7 31.♕xg7#
27...♘xf6 loses after 28.♕xf6 ♔h7 29.♗xf7 ♗h3 30.♕e7 with a mate in 11 moves.
28.♖xe8 It's mate in 7 at most. 28...♕d1+ 29.♔g2
29.♖e1 ♕xe1+ 30.♔g2 ♗e4+ 31.♔h3 ♕f1+ 32.♔h4 ♕h3+ 33.♔xh3 ♗f5+ 34.♔h4 a6 35.♕g7#
29...♕xd5+ 30.f3 ♕d2+ 31.♕xd2 ♖xe8 32.♕h6 Lombardy resigned. (32.♕h6 ♖e2+ 33.♔f1 ♖f2+ 34.♔xf2 a6 35.♕g7#) Powered by Aquarium
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